It said ‘Free all Basque Prisoners,’ watching Celtic then Belgium in Biarritz

I’m in France at the moment, to be precise I am sitting enjoying une demie bière on a deckchair watching the surf on the Atlantic Ocean between Biarritz and Bayonne.

The place is called Anglet. It takes an hour to walk along the length of the beach – this the bier stop! There is a piece of graffiti over a small bridge that I noticed earlier. It said “free all Basque prisoners!”

This is Basque Country. There is a Fanzone tonight to show the France v Belgium World Cup semi final where Celtic will be represented by Dedryck Boyata – who will most likely be on the bench for Belgium.

For his sake I will probably favour Belgium this evening but normally it would be a case of cheering Les Bleus.

By the time that game kicks off, Celtic will have played a vital Champions League Match 2000 odd miles away in Armenia.

Our season is shaped by these games, early season banana skins that provide us with our own status report from a football governing body that favours 5 countries to the detriment of the rest of Europe.

Celtic are a former winner of the European Cup. A beaten finalist too and have played in numerous semi-finals. We are not alone in having a strong pedigree but are left fighting for our status in the early summer to satisfy UEFA’s lust for tv cash.

It’s a dangerous game though. The brass neck in even calling it the Champions League isn’t lost on real football people.

Boyata could be a World Cup winner a week on Sunday. Yet his club – a proud club with real pedigree in the European game – is left to play 8 games to even reach the so-called Champions League.

Something needs to change but in the meantime COYBIG and good luck to our Belgian Bhoy.

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor David Faulds has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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